Pune, 26th August 2026: The widening of the Katraj-Kondhwa road continues to face hurdles due to delays in land acquisition. Although the acquisition process was undertaken through the Special Land Acquisition Officer, the names of some properties were reportedly omitted from the acquisition award.
As a result, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has not received possession of these properties, affecting efforts to complete the road as a continuous stretch. The acquisition of the remaining properties is expected to take another four to five months.
Property owners said they were informed in May that they would receive compensation and were also told the expected amount. However, they now claim that officials are asking them to submit additional documents, citing issues related to tenancy laws and other records.
Owners also said that under a new government decision, compensation is expected to be around 10 per cent lower than the Ready Reckoner rate. However, they are unhappy that fresh documentation requirements are being raised after the process has already taken more than two months.
Some property owners have indicated that they may seek to reclaim possession of their land. They said road work has already started on some plots despite compensation remaining unpaid.
“Every time, we are asked to submit new documents. The delay is being caused by the officials themselves, while we are the ones continuously following up on the paperwork. Road work has already started on our land, but we have no information about when the compensation will be paid. We believe work should not be carried out on the land until compensation is paid. We feel that we have been misled throughout the process,” said property owner Darshan Nahar.
Chief Land Acquisition Officer Shweta Darunkar said the PMC has sent proposals concerning the affected properties to the District Collector’s office.
“Once the proposal is approved, it will be forwarded to the Land Acquisition Department, following which the acquisition process will be carried out. There are documentation-related issues concerning some properties, and efforts are underway to resolve them. The concerned property owners will be paid compensation once these issues are cleared,” Darunkar said.
The continuing land acquisition delays have emerged as a major obstacle to completing the Katraj-Kondhwa road widening project, which has remained pending for several years.
